Oh, Say Can You See?
America at 250
Anniversaries are great opportunities for self-reflection. Below are two tales I previously wrote which are rooted in my own process of reflection as an American who was born and raised in the cradle of American independence. I grew up barely 10 miles from where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. I remember school field trips to Independence Hall in downtown Philadelphia when the Liberty Bell was stored on the first-floor landing of the building’s stair well. It was so publicly accessible that I have memories of sticking my finger into the crack of the bell. (Try doing that today!) American revolutionary history is deeply personal to me.
As an adolescent boy fifty years ago during the Bicentennial, I was swept up into the performance of mythological revolutionary re-enactments and storytelling. Since then, I have explored other parts of our nation’s history; a history of exploitation of indigenous people, kidnapping native African people and enslaving them as property, bigoted racism, classism, and abusive greed. Yes, that is America too. Moving forward from this celebratory moment toward a positive future for our nation, I believe the mythology we were taught as a complete history must be reconciled with the many other subordinated stories of our “American Experiment.” We can be proud and remorseful at the same time.
Happy Independence Day.
American Exceptionalism
A curated history Surrounded in mystery Of enlightened founders And a more perfect union Oh say can you see My country ’tis of thee Purple mountain majesty My home sweet home And so goes the lullaby As sweet as apple pie America! America! God shed His grace on thee Oh! Manifest destiny From sea to shining sea Go to the moon and back You Yankee Doodle Dandy You’re a grand ol’ flag Leaders boast and brag And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home Through songs and rhyme We learned by keeping time In School House Rock We keep him marching on The Yanks are coming We’re fearlessly gunning To spread the word of Our democracy Hurrah! We’ll chant Propaganda we’ll plant Feeling proud of the Red, White, and Blue And the bombs, bursting in air Surely nothing can compare With the coming of the…
or listen below
The Freedom Twins
Once upon a time there lived a modern girl named Dolores Emma Cracy. She was so modern that she disliked her first name, Dolores, thinking it to be rather old-fashioned. That is the reason she chose at an early age to go by her middle name, Emma. However, this was not customary for young girls at the time, and it created much confusion for others. You see, for a child to use their first initial, D, along with their middle name, Emma, was something expected from a boy, or a young man, not a girl. But Emma was an unconventional, open-minded girl who would not tolerate being pigeon-holed by such tired misogynistic tropes. Though her parents and schoolteachers disapproved, they obliged the girl and allowed her official records to read D. Emma. The girl didn’t care. She was Emma.
or listen below
